An important step in the field of rehabilitation for veterans of the security forces: a new center for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health has been opened at the Herzog Medical Center, in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem. The important activity is managed by the Psychiatry Department at Herzog, and is based on the experience of Metiv (the long-standing Israeli Center for Psychotrauma), which is considered a leader in the field worldwide, and is located within the Herzog Complex.

According to Dr. Jacob Haviv, director of “Herzog”, “We have established a new and groundbreaking center in terms of the therapeutic approach to the soul and the systemic and integrative vision. The clinic is located in our new clinic building, the construction of which was completed last year, and it has excellent conditions.”

Tamar Galil, Jerusalem District Director of the Ministry of Defense’s Rehabilitation Division, adds: “In light of the ‘One Soul’ reform, the Rehabilitation Division is working hard to provide a solution for disabled people dealing with post-traumatic stress. Now, the new center has opened in the Jerusalem area, which expands the response in this area and helps absorb the new disabled people of ‘Iron Swords’ and many who will come after them. We in the division understand the need for such a center, which has become acute since the outbreak of the war, and for this reason, we encouraged the Herzog administration to expedite preparations for providing the services, and we thank them for that.”

A multi-systemic personal program

The new center’s staff includes: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and para-medical treatment professionals such as: occupational therapists, art and drama therapists, and others. The Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense refers the patients, and in the first stage, their mental state is assessed at the center and a personalized, multi-system treatment plan is developed.

Prof. Pinchas Danon, Director of the Psychiatry Department at Herzog and Director of the new center, explains: “The idea is to allow individual interventions for patients, as well as couples or group therapies. The treatment is behavioral-cognitive and/or pharmacological and focused on trauma as well as mental illness, if it has erupted following post-trauma. We began to diagnose patients at the clinic and perform situation assessments, based on which treatment and rehabilitation plans are built, which also incorporate advanced technologies.

“We maintain professional contact with experts in neurology, sleep disorders, sexual rehabilitation, and other specialists as needed. Our vision is to provide veterans of the security forces with high quality mental health care, personal contact, and flexible and excellent service.”

What is stress disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder appears following a traumatic event of exposure to an event(s) related to death or the threat of death, serious injury, or a threat to bodily integrity, and in response to this, fear increases to the point of extreme terror and helplessness.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered a chronic disorder, which manifests itself in a wide range of symptoms, including: flashbacks of difficult feelings and disturbing memories regarding the traumatic event, severe emotional reactions when it is mentioned, changes in behavior (outbursts of crying and rage, withdrawal, low mood, emotional upheaval, dissonance – detachment, apathy, anxiety), efforts to avoid thoughts or contact with details that remind you of the event, and more.

The definition of a traumatic event depends on the personality structure. Some people have suffered from it even after an event that others find mild. It is still a mental disability, for which the state accepts responsibility. The new center is expected to become a therapeutic model in Israel and around the world for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thanks to the new arrangement

The basis for the new center’s activities is the extensive experience of Metiv, which was established at the Herzog Medical Center more than 30 years ago by Prof. Danny Brom, during a period when he served as the initiator and chairman of the Israeli Coalition for Trauma.

Metiv was established to provide a therapeutic response to citizens who have experienced psychological trauma in terrorist and other events. Over the years, Metiv has been engaged in treatment, professional training, research, and raising awareness in the field of psychological trauma, as well as providing services in the fields of psychology to those aged 17 and older, victims of trauma and loss.

Prof. Danny Brom: “We have been treating combat trauma for years. The uniqueness of the new arrangement with the Rehabilitation Division at the Ministry of Defense is the ability to provide a serious, deep and high-quality therapeutic package, both in personal aspects, in relationships or in group therapy, and the ability to also provide psychiatric support. The Ministry of Defense is taking a big and important step here to expand the therapeutic prism, and is responding to the needs of post-traumatic stress disorder, including a wide range of emotional regulation, rehabilitation and maintenance of personal systems (at work, in relationships, in the family, in friendships).

“We also hope and believe that the new center that has now been built will become a therapeutic model that is a beacon in the field.”

Prof. Danon adds: “We rushed to open the center. In the coming months, we will add more services such as: art therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and various alternative therapies whose effectiveness and programming we will test, as we recently tested a drumming group, which has tremendous power. A wonderful team is taking shape in the new center that just wants to envelop the patients with love and help as much as possible.